The KLH Kendall sports a real wood veneer finish (shown in black oak with grille removed).
Flagship performance from KLH
Meet the Kendall — the flagship tower speaker in KLH's new line of home speakers. This handsome tower dishes out rich sound thanks to its 3-way design. And it's easy on the eyes, too, with its high-quality, wood veneer finish. I had the opportunity to audition a pair of the Kendalls prior to their launch (more on that in a minute).
This incredibly efficient floor-standing speaker (rated at 96 dB sensitivity!) doesn't require a ton of power to produce big sound, making it a great match with a range of modern amplifiers.
A three-way design for smooth, detailed sound
The Kendall's three-way design matches a 1" anodized aluminum tweeter with a 5-1/4" woven Kevlar® midrange, and two 6-1/2" Kevlar woofers for nuanced texture and detail throughout its wide frequency range.
A custom-designed, high-quality crossover ensures smooth blending of frequencies between the four of drivers.
Small details add up to keep you happy
The Kendall's wood veneer finish gives it a high-quality look and feel. And its magnetic grille has no visible attachment points, making this finely crafted speaker visually compelling when the grille is removed.
This tower comes equipped with two pairs of speaker inputs for bi-amping or bi-wiring. And it comes with floor spikes and rubber feet for added stability and to decouple the cabinet from your floor for better sound.
To top it all off, the Kendall comes with a 10-year warranty for long-term peace of mind.
My first-hand impressions
KLH kindly brought a pair of the Kendalls to our headquarters so we could check them out in person. During Joe Bonamassa's Beacon Theatre: Live from New York performance, I was impressed by the Kendall's expansive soundstage and surprisingly strong bass in our large training room. These elegant speakers delivered an authentic "live show" feel with ease.
We then listened to a music-lover's sampler of artists, ranging from Rebecca Pidgeon to Stevie Ray Vaughn. Each track revealed the Kendall's dynamic range and tonal versatility as it handled delicate female vocals and soulful electric guitar riffs with accuracy and finesse.
The KLH name lives on
Henry Kloss and his partners founded KLH in Cambridge, Massachusetts back in the '50s. Kloss changed the audio industry with innovations like the acoustic suspension loudspeaker, the first-ever full-range electrostatic speaker, and the first high-selectivity table radio.
Today, KLH is headquartered in Noblesville, Indiana. The company's new speaker lineup represents a fresh take on that rich and varied KLH legacy.
